Sri Sri on how to quit smoking, naturally

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar founded the Art of Living as an international, non-profit, educational and humanitarian organization in 1982. It’s educational and self-development programs offer powerful tools to eliminate stress and foster a sense of well-being through powerful breathing techniques such as Sudarshan Kriya and Yoga spread over 156 countries. Appealing not only to a specific population, these practices have proven effective globally at all levels of society.

According to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, there are three ways to quit an addiction.

“The first is fear, fear of disease. For example, if the doctor tells you that if you take one more cigarette, your lungs will give way and you will not survive, then that fear makes you stop smoking.

The second is greed. If someone tempts you to get into something bigger. Let’s say, if someone offers you a million dollars on condition that you don’t smoke for a month. Then that greed to get something bigger, some better benefit, gives rise to the possibility of getting over the addiction.

The third thing is love, love for something higher. Love can elevate your consciousness, your whole body-mind complex. Love and prayer can help stop the craving.”

There is yet another way out of the addiction. The way of yoga and meditation and.Or as Sri Sri so aptly puts it, “Having a bigger addiction!.  A higher ecstasy that you can find through yoga, pranayama meditation and sudershan kriya ! Of course, this is love for the cosmos, love for God, a devotional dance! This will give you such an ecstasy that it can snap you out of your addiction.”

What is Yoga?

The secret to health and happiness lies deep within every human. Yoga is the science of discovering one’s own self – the very source of pure consciousness, peace and bliss. Everyone knows that we don’t feel good and we get stressed when there is disharmony in our lives, when our bodies are tired and our busy minds constantly chatter and judge. Through the discipline of Yoga we become more aware of ourselves by doing simple postures, breathing techniques, meditation, and relaxation to rejuvenate the body and quite the mind. It is in this manner that we cultivate harmony in ourselves.

What is Meditation?
Settling the surface mind is meditation. Living in the present is meditation. Relaxing deeply is meditation. When you are really happy, reposing in love, you are meditating. Meditation is that space when the thoughts have subsided, and the mind is in complete rest.

What is Sudarshan Kriya?

Sudarshan Kriya incorporates specific natural rhythms of the breath which harmonize the body, mind and emotions. This unique breathing technique eliminates stress, fatigue and negative emotions such as anger, frustration and depression, leaving you calm yet energized, focused & yet relaxed. It increases energy, improves intuition and makes you innovative. Millions around the world have done this unique practice and have reported better quality of life.

Special program to help smokers ‘Quit smoking’, The Art of Living has specially designed a program, “STOP SMOKING START LIVING” to help smokers and other users of smokeless tobacco to kick the habit.“The program educates the participants on harmful hazards of tobacco consumption; empowers them with simple and profound breathing techniques that help them to manage withdrawal syndrome, and to overcome the urge to smoke. The program helps eliminate the toxins from the body and rejuvenates and energizes every cell in the body, enabling one to bounce back with good health. The program also includes ‘Yogasanas’, ‘Sudarshan Kriya’ relapse prevention strategy, and much more”,

The Art of Living also runs De-Addiction Centers which provide deaddiciton from Alcohol, Drugs, Tobacco or any other addiction. It is a holistic deaddiction program designed by leveraging Ayurveda and Yoga. The pivotal aspect of our approach is the Sudarshan Kriya which is a powerful breathing technique to cleanse the body and mind. Sudarshan Kriya was introduced to the world by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. We also make use of Ayurveda extensively to facilitate deaddiction. Panchakarma sessions are provided.